


Anytime

by ethan_green



Category: Rent (2005), Rent - Larson
Genre: AIDS, Crying, He gets a couple, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Roger needs a hug, Soft Boys, yay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:08:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22661521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethan_green/pseuds/ethan_green
Summary: Collins gets a phone call at work
Relationships: Mark Cohen & Roger Davis, Mark Cohen & Thomas B. Collins, Roger Davis & Thomas B. Collins
Kudos: 14





	Anytime

Thomas B. Collins was about to leave MIT when his office phone rang. Usually, he’d ignore it. If it was really important, they’d leave a message or call back tomorrow, but today he stopped, one foot out the door. Something told him to answer.

“Hello?”

“Collins!” Mark sounded relieved. “I thought I missed you.”

“Almost did. What’s up?” he admitted.

“We need you over here. Right now.”

“What’s wrong?” he asked, standing up straighter. “Is everyone okay?”

Mark sounded like he was crying. “No. Please hurry?”

If there was an award for getting from one end of New York City to the next in less than half an hour, Collins would have won it. By the time he was dashing up the stairs to the apartment, he was wheezing and coughing. He didn’t care. Mark was crying. The only person who could make Mark cry was a certain blond-haired musician. Who was currently addicted to heroin and trying to get clean.

“Mark?” he called.

“In here.” The reply came from Roger’s room. The junkie was curled up in the bed, shaking.

“Withdrawal?” Collins guessed.

“Worse,” Mark frantically wiped at his eyes, passing Collins a piece of paper.

**PATIENT: DAVIS, ROGER**

**SEX: M**

**REPORT STATUS: POSITIVE**

**HIV ANTIBODY TEST** **  
  
**

Collins felt like he was about to pass out, and not only because he had just sprinted more than he had since gym class. “No. No, it-you-you can't-”

A sob echoed from Roger as he tore himself out of the blankets. “Yes, I can!. It’s right there! Positive.”

“We thought it was just withdrawal,” Mark explained quietly, putting an arm around Roger’s skinny form. “But it wouldn’t go away, and it’s been a few weeks, and-.”

“I’m so tired,” Roger said, brokenly. He stared up at the older man, his green eyes shimmering. “It gets better, right?” He sounded borderline hysterical. “Collins, it gets better right? I’m not gonna feel like this forever.”

Collins crawled onto the bed and wrapped his arms around Roger, squeezing him to his chest. “Boy, I wish I had good news for you. It doesn’t get better. You get stronger.” The blond sobbed harder, tucked between his two best friends.

“Can you stay here with him?” Mark asked, slowly untangling himself. “I have to go pick up his AZT.”

“Here,” he pulled a few crumpled twenties out of his pocket and passed them to the redhead. He was going to buy himself a new coat, but this was a worthier cause. “I’ll be here. As long as you two need. I’ll be here.”

Mark left, and slowly Roger began to calm down. Collins sat him up and scrubbed the leftover tears away with a tissue.   
  
“Have you eaten yet?”

“No.”

“Come on then,” he said, getting up. “I’m sure I saw some soup last time I was here.”

He had, in fact, and it wasn’t long before the congealed soup was mixed with water and bubbling on the hot plate. 

“Finally getting clean?” he asked, as Roger slumped in a chair. 

“Trying to.” When Collins raised his eyebrow, he continued defensively. “Makes Mark happy and getting high isn’t as fun if you’ve got no one to get high with. Besides, my wallet will thank me later.”

“I’m proud of you, boy,” Collins told him, pouring a third of the soup into a bowl for Roger, and a little bit for himself. Mark was looking too skinny, he’d have to eat when he got back.

“Thanks. How’s MIT?”

“Students are awful, teachers don’t care, but hey,” he grinned, “It pays.”

“Amen.” Roger was quiet for a moment. “How did you react when you found out?”

Collins sighed, leaning back in his chair. “I got really drunk. When I woke up, I didn’t feel any better. I came straight down here to tell you guys. They caught mine pretty early though. I’ve got a while left.”

The younger man nodded. “I’m not gay, you know.”

Collins nodded. “I know.”

“Thanks.”  
  
“Anytime.”


End file.
